Because of the horrible things that he said and all the horrible things his followers have done and continue to do

Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Miracles?

Isn't it weird that atheists never experience miracles; that those apparently chosen by God to bear witness are those that will unquestionably accept what they see as reassurance for their strange convictions? Further, many miracles are incidences of 'God' making up for errors that could only have been caused by himself: a child with cancer, an injured man, etc.

If any god has this power to do good then why only employ it occasionally, to untrustworthy sources? Why not heal all amputees perfectly and cure AIDS? Why have Aids? Why have the miracles got less miraculous as our scientific understanding has increased?

Is there a problem with quoting a Biblical scholar who also happens to be an atheist? Do you have a problem with his scholarship or his lack of beliefs? You do realize he used to be a fundy, right?

Second, the blog title is hyperbole. And, I'm not sure that Jesus never existed. It's quite possible that there was no Jesus, and the evidence of there having been a Jesus is incredibly slim...even if the Koran does speak about Jesus. And why would I take the Koran as some sort of evidence on the subject?

I have a life, and I spend my life the way that I want to. Are you asserting that my life has less value than yours because I don't believe in your god? I think you've got it backwards. According to your theology, your life actually has less value, because it's only a stopping point before the afterlife where you think you'll go to heaven. That devalues this life.

This comment is a little off-topic, but I thought it would be worth it if the author of the blog is interested in a great book on atheism over the course of modern history. Henri De Lubac's "The Drama of Atheist Humanism" is what I've been reading lately, and I have to say it's one of the best books I can remember. He chronicles the development of modern atheism as it stems from Feuerbachian thought, Marxism, Nietzsche's idea of the "WIlle zur Macht", and also as it appears in Dostoevsky's corpus of novels and short-stories. Again, probably one of the best books I've ever read. If you are serious about atheism, this is a must-read. Then again, if you are serious about understanding the Christian position in regard to atheism, it's a must-read too. Best of luck.

My favorite miracle is the one that allowed mother Theresa to be indoctrinated as a saint. Apparently, the film used by the camera crew to videotape her church shown light where there was no light. It turns out, that the film crew was using a new kind of Kodak film that was extra sensitive to light (for filming in dark places -- like a church). Yes, a real miracle!

What about the jews? What about almost 2 billion asians? I think you'll find, if you actually do some research, that there are even christians who doubt the existence of jebus. My catholic mother included. Agnostics DOUBT the existence of jesus. Don't believe everything preacher-man says.

What about the jews? What about almost 2 billion asians? I think you'll find, if you actually do some research, that there are even christians who doubt the existence of jebus. My catholic mother included. Agnostics DOUBT the existence of jesus. Don't believe everything preacher-man says.

"Erm...if you'd studied the theology of miracles, you'd know that faith is a major factor."

I have considered the impudent accusations of Mr Dawkins with exasperation at his lack of serious scholarship. He has apparently not read the detailed discourses of Count Roderigo of Seville on the exquisite and exotic leathers of the Emperor's boots, nor does he give a moment's consideration to Bellini's masterwork, On the Luminescence of the Emperor's Feathered Hat. We have entire schools dedicated to writing learned treatises on the beauty of the Emperor's raiment, and every major newspaper runs a section dedicated to imperial fashion; Dawkins cavalierly dismisses them all. He even laughs at the highly popular and most persuasive arguments of his fellow countryman, Lord D. T. Mawkscribbler, who famously pointed out that the Emperor would not wear common cotton, nor uncomfortable polyester, but must, I say must, wear undergarments of the finest silk.

Dawkins arrogantly ignores all these deep philosophical ponderings to crudely accuse the Emperor of nudity.

Personally, I suspect that perhaps the Emperor might not be fully clothed — how else to explain the apparent sloth of the staff at the palace laundry — but, well, everyone else does seem to go on about his clothes, and this Dawkins fellow is such a rude upstart who lacks the wit of my elegant circumlocutions, that, while unable to deal with the substance of his accusations, I should at least chide him for his very bad form.

Until Dawkins has trained in the shops of Paris and Milan, until he has learned to tell the difference between a ruffled flounce and a puffy pantaloon, we should all pretend he has not spoken out against the Emperor's taste. His training in biology may give him the ability to recognize dangling genitalia when he sees it, but it has not taught him the proper appreciation of Imaginary Fabrics.

Anonymous,"Also, you are way off base on Christianity. Christ wants us to live this life to the fullest, also. This life IS part of our whole existence."

That's rather perverse, because doesn't Christ want us all in heaven? How can we be in two places at once? What about children that die young, did they get to live this life to the fullest, and was it part of their whole existence? Your theology makes no sense on this point. If heaven is so great, then this life is a shoddy stop-over on the way to something so much better, it's indescribable. That god would want to keep you here as long as he can and away from heaven and himself is rather telling, especially since the longer you are here, the more chances you have to mess up and go to hell.

"I just don't understand why how someone else lives his/her life is any concern of yours."

Honestly, it wouldn't be a concern if theists would stop interjecting their beliefs onto the lives of others. (Oh, and BTW, it's not like anyone made you read this website, so I don't see how anyone here is forcing anything on you.)